This year’s Trooping the Colour was magnificent, HM has been participating in the ceremony since 1947, that year she was Princess Elizabeth.
Trooping the Colour is the official celebration of the Queen’s birthday, HM looked lovely in the same primrose yellow Angela Kelly ensemble worn for William and Kate’s wedding last April.
HM Armed Forces FB Page
It was good to see the Duke of Edinburgh well enough to attend, he continues to recover from a serious infection, he wore his full ceremonial uniform as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. Below, the Duchess and Prince William. 
Kate was in a bespoke dress by Erdem.
Erdem is a designer the Duchess has worn before, most notably on last year’s North American tour. Kate wore two different Erdem frocks on last year’s North American tour.
Canadian Heritage
Today’s dress is a fully bespoke piece based on a classic Erdem sheath. It incorporates several of Erdem’s signature design elements: a gored bodice, seamed waist, three-quarter sleeves and a modified portrait neckline added to the understated elegance.
The fabric showcased exquisite tone-on-tone embroidery in a floral motif.
In its review of the designer’s spring collection Vogue explains the label’s appeal for Kate:
In England – and maybe in the world – there are few designers of Erdem’s generation who think about the clothes that will be appropriate for weddings, christenings, bar mitzvahs, garden parties, and formal banquets. That’s clearly why the Duchess of Cambridge, a carefully appropriate dresser, has taken to his neatly fitted, knee-length dresses with elbow-length sleeves.
The Duchess was in another piece by one of her favorite milliners, Jane Corbett.
We are not yet sure who designed Kate’s bag, when we do know we will update the post.
Press Association (L) / Splash News (R)
WKW Facebook friend Simona suggested early this morning the clutch is Alexander McQueen’s Gray Suede clutch, several commenters also believe it is this bag.
Alexander McQueen
Once again the Duchess wore her much-loved Links of London Effervescence Bubble Stiletto earrings.
Links of London
A look at some of the RAF planes approaching Buckingham Palace for today’s flypast.
HM Armed Forces FB Page
For more on today’s events:
- Learn about the Queen’s role as Head of the Armed Forces by clicking here
- The Daily Mail’s story is here
- The Telegraph‘s photo gallery is here
- Grazia UK’s story is here
- Watch the BBC story by clicking here
The BBC
- Read Jane Corbett’s wonderful blog post giving us a peek at the process of creating one of her chic chapeaux
Jane Corbett Blog
For those who may have missed it, Kate made an appearance on behalf of the Art Room, wearing Whistles and Zara, our post is here.
We’ll be back tomorrow for Kate’s appearance in Kent.
Jenniffer
Thursday 21st of June 2012
This outfit is not becoming on Catharine at all... I think too 'matronly' on her. I have come to love her 'young' but classy ensembles...
Tara
Sunday 17th of June 2012
I actually think the issue is the hat! It's awful! The dress on the other hand with a different hat could be totally retro and cool! Very Mad Men if you look at the shape and collar.
One thing I observe, it that Kate is actually wardrobe building and in a very deliberate way. Similar colours, different styles so that she can mix and match as she did last weekend.
I like the comment above about "carefully appropriate". As a woman who works in a very professional environment I find that her clothes are quite relatable in many ways. I'd venture to say that except for the offside hat (hated the one that she work to tea with the fantastic pink Emilia Wickstead dress as well) she wears "work appropriate clothing". I am so tired of seeing skirts that are too short, too much cleavage and too much skin, too many panty lines, wrong shoes etc.... Hopefully she'll have some influence with the younger set.
Catona
Monday 18th of June 2012
I agree with you ! I was wondering whether anyone else found the dress beautiful and hated the hat. I absolutely detested this hat and the Order of Garter hats - they have no character whatsoever. This one in particular doesn't go with this dress which is feminine and soft while the hat is almost garish in its lack of delicacy. I am puzzled that people found this dress "old". I thought it was romantic, retro and just really tasteful in the workmanship. I thought it was exquisite. I agree with those who think that her hair either needs to be up or shortened. She looks so lovely with a fuller face, I hope she doesn't lose the weight. I also think that the make-up has to be borderline scary in person - it's almost paint !
Scarlett
Sunday 17th of June 2012
She's smart..again not a fan of the color or style on her but she is calculative in her outfits..it looks drab on her but she didn't want to distract from the occasion and she dressed right for the politics bit of the job..she can be stunning when she wants to be and can.
Ginger
Sunday 17th of June 2012
Here's the thing about looking older. She is 30. Those of us who are way past that would love to dress in a younger more hip way. When I was 30, I dressed to be taken seriously, but I realize now, I could have worn much more youthful clothing then. The thing about a great deal of Kate's dresses is that she will be wearing this style clothing now for the next fifty five years. So when she gets to wear a dress like the great yellow Packham dress, I feel like she is dressed right for her age. It is something only someone young can pull off. Does that explain why we older ladies wish she dressed a bit younger?
Lili
Tuesday 26th of June 2012
But what do you mean by "youthful"? That's the ongoing issue. When people say that they want the Duchess to dress more "youthfully," and when I ask, "Well, what precisely does that mean?" they can't come up with any suggestions that are really that different from what she has worn.
When I was 30, I was into fashion (and just finishing up a PhD at an Ivy League university), but I wouldn't have worn that yellow Packham dress to save my life. That's not a "fashionable" dress for a chic woman of 30; that's a very childish dress I wouldn't have forced anyone over the age of 8 to wear. A huge mistake.
When I was 20, I believed in sleek, chic elegance, and I still do in my 50's. And here's the thing: the same sleek, chic, designer (or even High Street) clothes can be worn by anyone aged 17-70, depending on how they are accessorized and tailored and put together.
But while "youthfulness" is often a matter of how you wear your clothes, you do have to choose the "base" intelligently. That silver-gray Erdem dress? Not an intelligent choice.
Megan
Sunday 17th of June 2012
This times a million.
There are so many other options for Kate, so I don't know why she goes for fussy in drab colors.
If only the dress she wore for today's event didn't have that goofy collar. It would have looked much nicer.
Caroline
Saturday 16th of June 2012
As a Canadian and Erdem aficionado, I was excited to hear that Kate wore Erdem today. but I confess my reaction when I first saw this piece was disappointment--of all the gorgeous Erdem pieces, why this? My next thought was"oh, she's wearing Buckingham Palace camouflage again". the more I look at it though, the more I like it. It's an elegant cut and colour, and I quite like the hat although it is a bit too much of a forehead monster for my taste. the potential of the ensemble is undermined by the duchess's hair--a gorgeous chignon would have made this chic beyond belief--instead her hair takes away from the overall look.
cks
Sunday 17th of June 2012
I would agree with your comments about the dress - at first I was not a fan but it is a dress that I believe serves the purpose for the occasion. It is dressy but not distracting.
When it is windy, no matter what the "do" there is the possibility (unless sprayed to a fair the well) of it being blown around. While long tresses can be put back to right more easily, a fixed do cannot. Frankly, she will have more than ample opportunity to wear the elegant chignon in the future. For now, I think that the long hair looks nice. (I know that I am in the minority on this - perhaps I am influenced by my own daughter who has long glossy locks and who is only slightly younger than the duchess - she always wears her hair down unless she is working out at the gym).
I think it is important to note that William and Kate have mastered the art of the defferential. He is, after all, second in line to the throne - his father is before him. Whether one likes Charles or not (I happen to think that in some ways he has suffered from poor press in addition to having the unfortunate luck of being the "Bertie" of the late 20th and early 21st centuries), he is the heir to the throne and as such, it is not for William or Kate to usurp attention from first the Queen or from her son and heir. One can be certain that it is not lost on either Elizabeth or Charles how popular both WIlliam and Kate are. One can see by the occasions that they attend and the obvious affection that exists between William/Kate and both Charles/Camilla and Elizabeth/Philip that much has been learned from the debacle of the Diana and Charles marriage and divorce and the Crown's role in both.